Wire splicing machine



Nov. 8 1932. A. w. HIGHTOWER 1,887,375

WIRE SPLICING MACHINE Filed May 28. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORALBERT WEAVER HIGHTOWER BY 0 .f/LMM m,

ATTORNEY Nov. 8', 1932. A. w. HIGHTOWER WIRE SPLIGING MACHINE Filed May28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALBERT WEAVER HIGHTOWER I BY Away MmATTORNEY Patented Nov. 8, 1932 ALBERT WEAVER HIGH'rowEa,or rnnsndlcALIEoENIA WIRE srmcrfidnacririrn .Application filed May 28', 1920. s-jialiioi isaeo'af U My invention relates to a wire splicing machine.More specifically it is intended for splicing wire, which may be used inconveying electric power,being of a diameter from approximately inch toinch, it being especially adapted for splicing wire which is stiff orspringy as distinguished from wire which is soft and pliable, althoughmy device is adapted for use for any kind of wire.

The objects I have accomplished is the construction of a wire splicingmachine which can be operated by one man, the splices can be madeuniformly, and in using splicing sleeves in connection with thesplicing, the machine has features which compensate for the shrinking ofthe sleeve in the twisting of the wires and sleeves together. Otherobjects will be hereinafter disclosed.

Referring to the drawings herewith Fig. 1 is an end view of the device.Fig. 2 shows a side view. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the device alongthe sectional line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows a removable segment of a ratchet wheel having one jaw of aclamp attached thereto. Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the sectionline 66 in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the section line 77in Fig. 6. F 8 shows a fractional view of the clamps having the splicingsleeve inserted therein with wires overlapping within the sleeve readyto be spliced. Fig. 9 shows the same parts disclosed in Fig. 8 when thesplice is completed.

Referring to the drawings, a frame work is constructed with a base plate30 having three rods, 11, 12, and 13, attached thereto at approximatelyright angles to the face of said base plate, and parallel to each other.A second plate 31 is attached to said posts on a parallel plane to thebase plate for the purpose of strengthening the framework. In Fig. 3 theposts are shown as tubular. They can be formed solid if desired andother shape than tubular. points of contact of the posts with the baseplate will form a triangle. To the base and second plate is attached ahandle 14.

Mounted between the base plate and the sec- A line drawn between the 0ndplate is a ratchet wheel-1 6,3. sector 1'? of which canberemovedtherefrom; The j V hub 18 of the ratchet wheelie hollow, or hasa recess therein to hold a device for 'clfamp ing the sleeve and the whoso that they will turn with the ratchet wheel. 7 'lhe'clamp ispreferably form'ed i'ntwo-parts, one part 19 being attached tothesegment 17;, and the other part 20 being attached to the hub. The twoparts havethe adjacent faces of the j awsformed to receive and hold asleeve and are positioned with respect to each other so that when asleeve and wireis inserted the jaws of the clamp, by means'of a screw22, or other equivalent, the j aws can be forced together with'the'res'ult that the object between the jaws is-clamped. j i The meansfor-clamping shown consists of a lever 23 pivotally attached at one endto a lug. on the hub, having a saddle 24 also pivotally attached to alug on-thehub', and adapted to-pass over the free end of lever 23. Byscrewing thumb screw 22 against the free end of lever :2 3the jaw 19 isforced toward jaw 20.. Thumb screw 22 is the means'='with which thiscompression is had! Lever-23 also holds in place the sector 17 whenpositioned with the wheel as shown in Fig.6.;

A hand lever 25 is pivotally attached at one end to base plate andsecond plate 31. a This lever is provided with a ratchet 26 which isadapted tocooperate with ratchet wheel 16, to rotate it'together withthe clamp attached tothehub. ,Three sleeves,.1l1, 121, and 131, areadaptcdtoslide on rods 11,-12,"an'd 13. -T0 these sleevesis rigidlyattached a pla'telOO. The combined. plate and sleeves are; slidablymounted onsaidrods. Plate 100 has mounted; thereon, clamping means whichis. a duplicate of the clamp attached to hub 18. It consists of a jaw.200 and a cooperating jaw 190 which is positioned with the fa'c'esofthe'jaws toward each other, both of which are attached to plate 100. Thejaws are moved toward each other by means of lever 231 which ispivotally attached at one end to plate 100, a saddle 241 adapted to fitover the free end ofv lever 231, and a thumb screw 221 which is adaptedto force'the lever 231 against the jaws and to push the jaws toward eachother. The openings of the two clamps should be on a common line whichshould preferably be approximately parallel to the rods. Opening 38should be made through base plate and second plate 31 in line with saidclamp openings. The slotted member 210 is adapted to hold one jaw, 20,of the clamp to the lever 231.

In using this device reference is had to M Figs. 8 and 9. Themetalsleeve 40 issplaced in the machine so thatone end-"is firmly held"within the clamp in hub 18, and the other end is held by the clamppositioned in plate'lOO. The two wires and 51 which are to be splicedare pushed throughthe' tube from opposite ends. The ratchet is thenmanipulated to rotate the'ratchet'wheel and clamp attached thereto,which rotary movement twists the combined'wires and sleeve as shown in-Fig. 9, the result being a rigid twisted splice.

It willbe noted that the sleeve is shortened as it is twisted butthisshortening is compensated for by theplate sliding toward thehubclamping means on sleeves 111, 121, and 131'. The device can be usedfor short or long sleeves, the limit being fixed by the length of theposts. Y

- It is also noted that the faces ofthe clamps have recesses 31thereinto fit the ends of the tube. These recesses canv be adapted forsleeves and wires of different diameters. I prefer to have the clampingjaws removable, so that clamps adapted for the selected size of wire tobe spliced can'be. inserted. It is also noted that the device can easily.be operated by one man, as the leverage secured by the wheel andratchet can be adapted to splice and twist wires up to 4 inch indiameter. Having described myinvention I claimt A device for splicingwirev consisting of a base, rods positioned parallel to each other andadapted as slidewa 5, said rods being rigidly attached at one en to saidbase, a ratchet I wheel rotatingly mounted on said base, a

face of said ratchet wheel being on a plane at an approximateright angleto said rods, a clamp attached to the center portion of the ratchetwheel and adapted to be rotated there with, a second clamp slidinglyattached to said rods, the two clamps being positioned so that theopeningin the jaws is aligned and adapt ed'to holdeither end of atubular member, said tubularmember being adapted to hold two overlappingwires within said tubular member, means adapted torotate said ratchetwheel and totwist the overlapping wires within the tube and with thetubular member. ALBERT WEAVER HIGHTOWER.

